Sailing: It's Business class for Napier duo

Crewman Graeme Robinson and skipper David Zorn show their joy in nailing third place in race three yesterday in Napier. PHOTO/Jonny Fullerton

No pun intended but it was "Business", albeit not as usual, for Napier Sailing Club members Graeme Robinson and David Zorn yesterday.

"You never give up in sailing and today's race we got a very good start where we were very comfortable with plenty of room around us," said a delighted crewman Robinson who also is chairman of the organising committee of the Lexus of Hawke's Bay 21st Flying Fifteen World Championship staged in Napier.

Skipper Zorn and Robinson edged into third place on their yacht, Business, behind winners Steve Goacher and Tim Harper on their nameless boat with fellow British sailors David McKee/Mal Hartland coming second in their Fiery Chariot on day two.

In some respects the Bay pair can be excused for feeling elated because they came 15th in race one and plummeted to a sobering 50th in race two on Sunday.

"Sometimes when you get 57 boats in the start line it gets rather crowded but we managed to find a lovely space so from there we were able to take it to Hardinge Rd, I suppose [south]," said the 69-year-old consulting engineer who sympathised with sailors who ventured north.

"When they tried to come back they weren't in a very good position because we were up there with the top two boats," Robinson said, revealing all sailors had the opportunity before the start to have a test sail of sorts.

But "clear air", which is the opposite effect of slip streaming in cycling, is essential to avoid sailing in "wind shadows".

Hong Kong reps Ashley Smith/Adam Kingston crossed fourth and Whangarei pair Rob Ward/Bruce Yovich, of Onerahi YC, were fifth.

Robinson won a race at the 2011 world at Hayleigh, in southwest England, with fellow Napier club member James Sandall, of Wairoa, to finish 28th overall.

He described the 5-8 knots wind yesterday as "challenging" but small swells made it manageable.

He and Zorn have had little time racing together but the rapport has been great.

"It's always been from the first day," he said after they competed at last year's nationals. "His father, [the late Russell Zorn], was an excellent sailor in different classes of boats and was the race officer in the 1982 here and was a life member."

Business owner Robinson considered himself lucky to have David Zorn's nous to be in 21st place provisionally.

"At 21st I'd be a very, very happy chap when I look at the sort of people ahead of us it'll be very challenging with such outstanding sailors," he said with a laugh.

Australians are in the top three overall provisionally. David Yu/Chris Nelson on 13 points with Matthew Owen/Andrew Reed while husband-and-wife combo Nick/Janet Jerwood are third (15).

Britons make up the next tier - McKee/Hartland (19), Jeremy Davy/Martin Huett (24), Goacher/Harper (28).

Racing is expected to resume in similar conditions at 1pm today along the Ahuriri waterfront.